TRAVEL

Thursday, 5 December 2013

10 Gifts for Gadget Lovers

Gadget gifts, whether of the tech or simply ‘the latest’ gadget variety - you know, the sort that gets put away after Christmas in a drawer never to be seen again or worst of all re-gifted – can be wonderfully useful or stupendously silly. There is no in-between.

Hardest of all to find are those that just about everyone you know would want to own and use over and over again. When you come across one of those it’s best to buy two, one for someone else and one for you, as if it’s a top tier ‘gadget’ you won’t be able to part with it, something you may only discover just as you’re about to wrap it and put it under the tree.

Here are my top ten, see details below…all of these are sports, tech, travel or music related so are perfect for gym loving, music listening, tech savvy travellers. So if that’s you, or someone you know, read on.

Fitbit One Activity Tracker – at the top end price wise of my gadget gifts, and to have its own post in the near future, I’ve been trialling this for a couple of months. This is a great activity tracker for girls, as you can hook it onto your bra and forget about it – I’m not keen on the activity tracker wrist wear. For anyone who’s keen on a little more activity motivation, interested in getting fit (or fitter) and competitive – because you keep wanting to beat your last target……..this would make a great gift.

JBL Portable Bluetooth Speaker – Perfect for sitting on your desk or in any room, the JBL puts out a good sound and you don’t have to plug it in to anything – after all in the age of bluetooth who wants cables any more? Keep it charged and this will provide hours of great sound.

Pure Siesta Clock Radio – Neat enough to place anywhere but giving a good sound this is an easy choice from among the numerous radios out there.

Anker Astro Mini Portable Charger – Mine has already been swiped by the daughter, but this lipstick sized charger packs a useful 3000 mAh and will charge just about anything, provided you charge it first, of course. It comes with a charging cable, you’ll need to have the specific cable for your own device.USB Light – For when you need a little extra light on your keyboard or you’re working in the dark. Great for students and an excellent stocking filler.

Polar Bluetooth Heart Rate Monitor – You don’t need to wear the heart rate watch any more with this bluetooth heart rate monitor, you can just wear the strap and transmit the info straight to your iPhone 4S or 5 and keep an eye on your performance as you work out.

Logitech Wireless Mini Mouse – with a USB connector small enough to leave in your laptop permanently this is the perfect laptop mouse. It’s small but easy to use and comes in black, white or red. Having given one to a friend a couple of years ago I know that it has never failed to work perfectly. Just don’t leave the connector in your laptop when you upgrade….

Bluetooth Pop-Up Mini Travel Speakers – This is a really good inexpensive and fun travel bluetooth speaker which pops-up when you unscrew it. Keep it charged and ready to go. Less expensive (and smaller) than the JBL this is perfect for anyone who loves to travel.

Bluetooth Neckband Headphones – for those who want to work out or listen to their music on headphones without the nuisance of cables. Particularly useful in the gym allowing you to stash your device and carry on listening.

Kensington iPad case with keyboard – you might say what’s the point in having an iPad and trying to get it to do everything, on the other hand it can do pretty much everything if you attach one to this case/stand/keyboard. The bluetooth keyboard is removable and so can be used with other devices as well.

The problem with tech gifts is that they can backfire when you find you’ve bought something really clever and useful and your recipient has a different model, so it’s well worth doing a bit of research before flashing the plastic.